


Through Coffee Eyes and Blank Stares

by pagsywagsy



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Getting Together, Happy Ending, I know nothing about working in a cafe and it shows, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Oki is a good friend, Tutoring, a few other Nishiura players show up, background Abe/Mihashi, oofurixmas2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28382883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pagsywagsy/pseuds/pagsywagsy
Summary: When Hanai first agreed to tutor Tajima in English at the beginning of the semester, he thought it would be easy and simple. He never expected a rollercoaster of emotions, but it might have been the best decision he ever made.
Relationships: Hanai Azusa/Tajima Yuuichirou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 10





	Through Coffee Eyes and Blank Stares

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Madison! (Tumblr user @chellyla) I was your secret Santa and I hope you enjoy :)

_The cafe is unusually slow today_ , Hanai thought as he gazed around Nishiura Cafe. They’d only had a handful of customers so far and it was already mid-day. Hanai wondered if it had something to do with the brief semester break the university was on. He knew a lot of his friends had decided to go home to visit family before the last rush of final exams and reports were upon them.

Hanai probably would have visited his family for at least a day or two if not for his job. Momoe had asked him to take more shifts at the cafe since Sakaeguchi and Suyama were out of town. If it hadn’t been for the bonus she had promised him, he might have said no.

His lips lifted into a small smirk. Yeah, right. He knew he wouldn’t have denied Momoe’s request even if there wasn’t a bonus waiting for him. Just her faith in his competence as a worker made the effort worth it.

Hanai absentmindedly spun the dish sitting before him. The half-eaten cookie was all that remained of the treats Oki had left at the table. Too many sweets and now all he wanted was to drink the bitterest coffee the cafe had to offer - or maybe some water. Actually, he’d take anything that would counteract the sugary cookies.

The bell tolled above the front door and the late autumn air rushed in as two people entered. The crisp air carried the reminder that winter was right around the corner. Hanai sighed in relief as Mihashi greeted the new customers with a smile despite the stuttered words.

_He’s getting there_ , Hanai told himself. Mihashi could easily make any drink asked of him. He’d quickly picked up that skill. It surprised Hanai since he knew the other was not good at academic tasks, but apparently, that didn’t impact his ability to remember drink orders.

He smiled, feeling a sense of pride as thought about how far Mihashi had come. Mihashi had started working at Nishiura Cafe at the beginning of the fall semester. Hanai remembered how… bad Mihashi had been. No one could understand his stuttering and Hanai had to step in a few times when customers became annoyed.

Abe had begged Hanai to help Mihashi. He did, but the language barrier was just so difficult to overcome. It wasn’t until Tajima showed up at the cafe that Hanai was able to better understand and decipher Mihashi’s words and body language.

Hanai was proud of himself, too, because he no longer needed Tajima to translate for him. Not that he understood everything Mihashi said, but he could figure out most of what was meant. What he hadn’t expected was for Tajima to stick around anyway and weasel himself into Hanai’s life.

A sigh broke into Hanai’s thoughts and he pulled his eyes away from Mihashi working to the man sitting across from him. Tajima frowned at his open textbook while his fingers expertly spun his pen around and around. Hanai also frowned when he noticed that Tajima didn’t even have to look at the pen, and why… why was that so attractive?

Hanai cleared his throat and forced himself to stay focused. “Need help?” He asked, noticing that Tajima hadn’t written anything for the last several minutes. 

Tajima’s fingers stopped his pen from spinning. Sharp eyes stared into Hanai’s, and Hanai had to keep himself from leaning away from the gaze. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to how Tajima just seemed to analyze him.

It was unnerving.

“Just give me a few more minutes.” Tajima’s words were mumbled as he returned his gaze to his notebook.

With a resigned sigh, Hanai pushed himself away from the table. Tajima looked up at him immediately. His brow furrowed in confusion. “I’ll get us something to drink. You like that drink Mihashi makes, right? The one with a little bit of cinnamon?” 

Tajima nodded as he reached for his bag on the floor. “Yeah! Hold on. Let me just…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hanai said quickly, waving Tajima off. “This one’s on me.” The crease between Tajima’s eyebrows deepened. “What?”

Opening his mouth to respond, Tajima seemed to think it over. With a shake of his head, he closed his mouth. “Nothing,” he said instead. “Thanks.” 

Hanai thought the smile he received in return was enough to pay for the drink. Besides, he wanted something himself and with the extra money Momoe was paying him, it really wouldn’t hurt to treat Tajima for once. The guy was working hard on his English homework anyway.

Hanai started making their drinks once Mihashi was done with their actual customers. He glanced back over at the table to find Tajima aimlessly spinning the pen in his hand again. His eyes were focused back on his textbook.

Tajima was… just as bad at academics as Mihashi was, but at least Mihashi had Abe to help him with his studies. Apparently, Abe had banned Tajima from the study sessions because Tajima was a bad influence on Mihashi. Whatever that meant…

What Hanai really couldn’t wrap his mind around was why Tajima would choose English as an elective of all things. He was horrible at it. Tajima only knew random words that pertained to baseball, as well as a handful of curse words. He couldn’t even say, “My name is Tajima,” when they’d started.

_Stupid, impulsive idiot_ , Hanai thought with very little malice. If anything, his frustration with Tajima had morphed into something akin to endearment. Well, Tajima was annoyingly endearing when he wasn’t being crass or obnoxiously loud. 

Plus, the guy was great at baseball and if he didn’t pass this English course, Tajima wasn’t going to be able to practice with the team. Abe had said they had a strict rule when it came to someone’s grades. Hanai wouldn’t be surprised if Tajima was teetering on the edge of failing multiple classes.

“Hey,” Hanai began as he returned to the table, “can I ask you something?”

To his surprise, Tajima groaned. He leaned back in his chair and tossed his pen onto the table. Hanai saw the exhaustion hidden in his eyes. “Yes,” he said with an almost determined tone as he took the cup Hanai offered him. “Anything, please. I need a break.”

Hanai laughed as he sunk back into his chair. “Tajima, you’ve only answered two questions.” He purposely left out the fact that it had taken him 45 minutes to come up with the answers. He didn’t want Tajima to feel defeated before they finished.

Tajima simply shrugged in response. “What’s your question?”

Oh, right. His question. “Why did you go to university?” It had been bothering him for a while now. “I know you were a great baseball player in high school. You were one of the top names to graduate two years ago.”

Again, Tajima shrugged. “Ren and Kousuke were,” he said as though it made all the sense in the world.

“You can’t be serious…” Tajima just gave him a questioning look while he sipped on the drink Hanai gave him. 

Hanai couldn’t believe it. Tajima had decided to go to college because two of his friends decided to? College wasn’t something simple and easy. Did he even have a major in mind? Was he just going through the motions?

Yet somehow… that made total and complete sense. It was a very Tajima thing for him to do. Hanai could tell even if he’d only known Tajima personally for a couple of months now.

“Is that really the only reason?” Hanai asked, hoping to get more information from him.

“Well,” Tajima began. A pout formed on his lips. “My body’s not fully developed yet. I figured a few more years of intense training and I’ll be ready to join the pros.”

Hanai stared at him for a moment. _Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?!_ He took a deep breath to calm himself. “That makes sense,” he finally answered and Tajima grinned at him.

“What about you?” Tajima asked and Hanai frowned. “Why did you stop playing?”

“What?” He blurted the word without realizing and he’d flinched so hard at the question, he almost spilled his drink. “What are you talking about?”

Tajima gave him another confused look. “It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask.” Tajima wanted to ask him…? “You’re Hanai Azusa, right?” Hanai just stared. “I thought I recognized you when I first came here to visit Ren. I was surprised to learn you attended the same university as me, but you weren’t on my team.”

Hold on a second. Hanai felt himself stiffen at the words. Tajima recognized him and knew Hanai’s name from high school? Hanai was having a hard time grasping this.

“Stop,” Hanai said when he realized Tajima was rambling on about being disappointed or something like that. “What are you even talking about?”

“You and how you’re not playing baseball?” Tajima asked. “I thought that was a given.”

No, Hanai knew that. That wasn’t what his question meant. Hanai felt his face warm. What he really wanted to ask was how Tajima even knew his name. Hanai hadn’t been on a particularly good high school team. They never made it past the second round in the tournament, and he had only played Tajima’s team once. That was when Hanai was a first-year in high school and he’d only been used as a pinch hitter at the time. Had his one at-bat left that much of an impression on Tajima? There was no way.

“So?” Tajima leaned forward on the table. His coffee cup was all but abandoned as Tajima turned his full attention on Hanai. “Why’d you stop?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hanai tried to play it cool, but his words sounded annoyed even to his ears. “It was to focus on school and my part-time job.”

Tajima pouted as he contemplated the words. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and fell back against his chair. “Ah, that’s so boring!” Was Tajima complaining about his decision? “You were a good player, Hanai.”

“Well, I guess.” It felt odd hearing Tajima compliment him like that. Did he deserve praise like that? Had he done anything truly remarkable to earn Tajima’s attention?

Before Hanai could dwell on it any longer, Tajima picked up his pen and returned to his work. He spun his notebook around and pointed at the last sentence he’d written on the page. “Can you check this for me?”

“Yeah, of course.” 

Hanai continued helping Tajima through his English homework. He offered hints and ideas when he could, but tried his best to let Tajima figure it out on his own. After all, Hanai wouldn’t be there to take the test with him.

Yet, all the while, Hanai couldn’t stop himself from wondering about Tajima and what had made Hanai stand out to him.

* * *

The next few days became slower and slower as students left for the break. It, unfortunately, meant fewer tips, but at least Hanai could step away from the counter without consequence.

It also meant that Hanai could let Mihashi leave early. A good thing, too, since Mihashi had been distracted by Abe the moment Abe entered the cafe. 

“Go on,” Hanai said after he caught Mihashi staring in Abe’s direction for the fifth time. Mihashi whirled around, staring at him with wide eyes. “You and Abe are heading to your parents’ house for a couple of days, right?” 

Mihashi nodded emphatically. Hanai wondered if his head would fly off. “You can leave early,” Hanai continued. “I think I can handle the last hour alone.” He didn’t mention that he would be alone for the next two days with just Oki to help. “Go.”

“Th-thank you!” To Hanai’s surprise, Mihashi pulled him into a hug. It happened so fast that Hanai didn’t even have a chance to reciprocate. One moment Mihashi was hugging him and the next Mihashi was throwing himself at Abe. 

Hanai silently watched the two interact while he wiped down the counter. He was surprised at how affectionate Abe was with Mihashi. Hanai had never seen Abe look so… soft. “Weird,” he mumbled under his breath. 

“Disgustingly cute, aren’t they?” 

Hanai startled at the voice. His arm jerked and his hand knocked into the container holding the wooden stirrers, sending them cascading to the floor. Tajima snickered as Hanai bent down to clean up the mess. 

Once he finished, Hanai found Tajima leaning casually on the counter. The grin was just a little bit annoying. “What?” Hanai asked, feeling his shoulders hike up. 

“Nothing.” Tajima’s grin widened. 

With a sigh, Hanai willed himself to relax. “What are you even doing here?” 

Tajima raised an eyebrow, head tilting to the side. “You’re not happy to see me?”

“It’s not that,” Hanai quickly replied. He glanced around the cafe and noticed that Abe and Mihashi had left already. Only two others remained besides Hanai and Tajima. “Aren’t you going home for the break?”

“Aren’t you?” Tajima asked without missing a beat.

Hanai replenished the stirrers just to give himself something to do. “I’m working.” He shrugged a little. “Oh, by the way,” Hanai turned back and paused. Tajima’s attention was fully on him. “I’m uh… I’m not going to be able to tutor you tomorrow or the day after.”

“What?” Tajima called out, hands slapping down on the counter. “What do you mean you can’t?”

Pointedly ignoring the two pairs of eyes that had turned toward them, Hanai rolled his eyes at Tajima’s dramatics. “Listen,” he said calmly, “it’s just Oki and me working so I won’t have time to spare.”

The way Tajima deflated was comical. He slumped forward, body draped over the counter Hanai had _just_ cleaned. Damn, he’ll have to wipe it down again.

“This sucks,” Tajima groaned. The counter muffled his voice and Hanai could just picture the smudges Tajima was making. 

Rolling his eyes again, Hanai busied himself with getting the cafe ready for tomorrow. “It’s just two days.” It wasn’t as big a deal as Tajima was making it out to be, but Hanai felt the need to make him feel better. “You’ve been working hard. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some time off?”

Tajima lifted his head and propped his chin against the counter. With pouty lips and sad eyes, Tajima stared at Hanai, who wasn’t entirely sure how to handle that look. “What?” Hanai asked when Tajima didn’t say a word.

“It’s not that I don’t want a break, but,” Tajima’s voice trailed off and suddenly the wall was much more interesting than Hanai.

He tried to wait patiently. Hanai did. He _really_ did, but this wasn’t like Tajima. Tajima was blunt and to the point. He never beat around the bush and always said what was on his mind. “But?”

Tajima turned back to him with those sad, sad eyes. What was with him today? “I’ll,” he began but stopped abruptly. The frown formed so quickly that Hanai was taken aback by the sudden shift in mood. “I’ll be bored,” Tajima eventually said with a huff. He sounded like a petulant child.

“Bored,” Hanai repeated. His flat and unamused tone said he didn’t believe that for a second. Tajima was being weird. “Go practice baseball if you’ll be so bored.” Hanai wasn’t sure why he felt annoyed, but his words came out harsher than he’d meant them to. “Or better yet study on your own.”

Turning away, Hanai grabbed a rag to wipe down the tables. If Tajima wasn’t going to be truthful with him then Hanai had better things to do. As he went about the usual procedures for closing the cafe, he could feel Tajima’s eyes boring into his back.

“What’s up with you today?” Tajima finally asked when the last customer had gone.

Hanai turned the sign at the door to ‘CLOSED.’ “What do you mean?”

“You’re kind of being an ass right now.”

Looking up from the table he was cleaning, Hanai frowned. Tajima stared at him from his spot leaning against the counter. Had he moved at all? “I’m always like this.” 

_No, you’re not_ , he told himself. Hanai had no reason to be this annoyed with Tajima. He tried to remind himself that, but the next words from his mouth made everything worse. “We’re closing so you should probably leave. I’ll let you know when the next tutoring session will be for your entertainment.”

The glare he received sent shivers down his spine. “Whatever,” Tajima grumbled under his breath before walking out the door. He didn’t even spare Hanai another glance, let alone a goodbye.

_I fucked up_ , Hanai thought bitterly. _Shit._

“Wow.” Hanai looked up at the quietly whispered word. Oki stared at him with large, unsure eyes. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he said quickly. “I was just coming up here to clean the displays!” His voice rose in pitch and Hanai felt horrible for worrying his friend.

“Sorry,” he mumbled and finished cleaning in silence.

The night was bitter cold when he and Oki left the cafe that evening. Hanai made sure the door was properly locked before they walked home. Ever since earlier, Oki had barely spoken a word to him.

Hanai wondered if it was his fault. _Probably_ , he thought harshly.

Reaching the spot where they parted ways, Oki hesitated. “You know,” he began, “you shouldn’t be so tough on Tajima.”

Hanai frowned. Had it been that bad?

“I don’t think he deserved what you said to him.” It was rare for Oki to speak up like this, so Hanai listened intently. “I think… I think you need to figure out why you were so upset and maybe apologize.”

Hanai’s gaze fell to his feet. His breath formed small white puffs, clouding his vision. He nodded once and offered Oki a tired smile. “Yeah, I know,” he mumbled, suppressing a shiver as the cold passed through the layers of his coat. He’d apologize.

Oki’s bright grin was the last thing Hanai saw before his friend turned right at the intersection and he went left.

He needed to apologize.

* * *

Fridays were always slow days at Nishiura Cafe. Now that the university was on break, it was even slower despite finals coming up in two weeks. It was probably a good thing since Hanai was exhausted.

He hadn’t slept well the evening before. In the quiet hours of the early morning, his mind had decided it was the perfect time for some introspection. Except, he hadn’t been able to come up with any explanations for his annoyance with Tajima the day before. 

Stifling a yawn, he finished making a customer’s order and handed it off with a smile. She thanked him before disappearing out the door. 

Hanai sighed. His mind was a jumbled mess. He kept checking his phone to maybe see if Tajima had messaged him. The worst part happened every time someone entered the cafe. With each ring of the bell, Hanai felt his hopes simultaneously rise and fall whenever he looked and saw it wasn’t Tajima. 

Part of him wondered if he was bored. Another part told him he simply missed Tajima’s presence. And a third, smaller part said he felt guilty with how things ended the evening before. 

_Why can’t feelings be easy,_ he asked himself. 

The bell chimed again, signaling another customer. Hanai purposely kept his eyes down as he organized the register drawer. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. 

When he felt the person’s presence, he quietly sighed to himself. “Welcome to Nishiura Cafe.” He didn’t make eye contact. “How can I help you?”

The person hummed. “I’ll take whatever coffee you make the best.”

Hanai's head snapped up so fast that the room spun slightly and he had to grab the counter to steady himself. “ _Tajima?_ ” Hanai couldn’t believe his eyes. Sure, he wanted Tajima to show up, but he never thought it would happen. “Why are you here?”

Now that… wasn’t the way he wanted to ask that question. It sounded like some sort of accusation, but Hanai was simply curious.

Tajima’s head tilted to the side as if he could see Hanai’s internal crisis. “What? I can’t come here without it being for you?” The words were snarky, sarcastic, but Hanai didn’t sense any spite coming from Tajima. 

Even when he probably deserved it. 

“No,” Hanai said quickly, “of course, you can.” He was glad to see Tajima. He didn’t want to insinuate that he didn’t want him around. “I just wasn’t… expecting you.” Leaning forward, Tajima grinned at him. Something twisted in Hanai’s stomach at the sight. _Oh, no._ “So, uh, what _are_ you doing here?”

Tajima laughed lightly. The ease at which he presented himself contrasted strongly with Hanai’s tense posture. “Getting coffee.” It was the teasing tone that allowed Hanai to relax just a bit. 

“Obviously,” Hanai replied with a roll of his eyes. The word made Tajima laugh even harder. The sight had Hanai smiling and the knot in his stomach tightening. “So what did you want?”

“Whatever drink you make the best,” he repeated. 

Hanai stared at Tajima’s grinning face. “You really don’t know any of the names of our drinks do you?” Tajima’s grin widened as he shook his head. 

_He’s hopeless_ , Hanai thought, a fond smile pulling at his lips. 

Knowing that Tajima disliked anything extremely bitter, Hanai decided to forgo making his best drink for something sweeter. “Here you go,” Hanai said as he placed the cup in front of Tajima. 

Tajima tried to hand over some money, but Hanai had already paid for it. “You paid last time, Hanai.” Tajima’s smile morphed into a frown. “You have to stop paying for me.”

“Why?” Hanai joked but Tajima either didn’t find it funny or didn’t understand. He simply stared at Hanai like he was trying to solve a puzzle. “Just consider it as a part of my apology about last night. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

With widening eyes, Tajima’s frown lifted just a bit. “Part?”

Hanai nodded. “Part.” Though he had no idea what the other part would be. He motioned to the cup. “Well, there’s your coffee.”

“Yup.” Tajima’s grin returned as his hands wrapped around the warm ceramic mug.

He stared at Hanai with the small grin on his face but made no effort to move. “Did you… need something else?” Hanai asked, feeling more and more uncomfortable as time passed. 

“Nope,” Tajima said - the grin still present on his face. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulders and walked away with the coffee in his hands. 

Blinking, Hanai felt every bit confused. _What… just happened?_ He had no idea. Tajima was quite literally the most confusing person to ever appear in Hanai’s life. Mihashi was even easier to understand than this. 

Hanai silently watched as Tajima walked over to the table that he frequented whenever he worked on his English assignments. His mouth fell open slightly as Tajima took out a laptop and notebook and settled in. Tajima was working on assignments during the break? Was it because of what Hanai said the night before?

Hanai pinched his arm. Nope, he wasn’t dreaming. He was also pretty sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Then Tajima pulled out his English textbook. Holy shit. Was the world ending?

“You okay there?” Oki chuckled at him. He carried out a tray of freshly baked scones. The smell made Hanai’s mouth water.

“I… think so?” Hanai responded after a moment of staring.

He helped Oki put the scones on the display case, but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing in Tajima’s direction now and then. Hanai half expected him to just vanish like some sort of apparition.

“Have you made up with Tajima yet?” Oki asked when they were done. He probably noticed Hanai’s gaze drifting toward him.

“Kind of?”

Oki frowned at the words, trying to understand exactly what Hanai meant by that. He opened his mouth to respond, but just as he did, Tajima appeared on the other side of the counter. “Hanai!” he said too loudly and with too much excitement. Oki flinched so hard Hanai thought the tray he was holding would fly out of his hands. “What’s this drink called?”

Startled, it took a moment for Hanai to gather his thoughts. “You mean the mocha?” He was pretty sure that’s what he made. He figured Tajima would like the chocolate flavor.

“It’s amazing!” Tajima’s eyes sparkled and Hanai’s stomach tightened into knots once again. “It tastes just like chocolate!”

Clearing his throat and looking away, Hanai made awkward eye contact with Oki, who stared at him in mild surprise. “Uh,” he began ever so gracefully before looking back at Tajima. “Well, it’s a mocha and it has chocolate in it, so…”

Undeterred by Hanai’s awkwardness, Tajima grinned. “It’s my new favorite.” The honesty of the words had Hanai’s cheeks warming in an instant. He had to get whatever these emotions were under control. “Oh, hey Oki,” Tajima said, blinking as if just noticing Oki standing beside Hanai.

“Good morning, Tajima,” Oki replied with a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“Thanks! You too.” The ease with which Tajima conversed with others was amazing. No wonder Mihashi clung to him so much when Abe wasn’t around. “I’m trying to finish my English assignment.”

“Do you need any help?” Hanai asked, knowing the assignment Tajima was working on would be a large portion of his final grade.

Tajima’s eyes returned to him. “Nah, I’m fine.” Hanai frowned at the way Tajima’s grin lost its brightness. Tajima probably didn’t want to bother him after what happened last night. “Don’t worry about it. I know you’re busy.” 

Spirits falling, Hanai nodded. “Okay…” 

With a quick goodbye, Tajima returned to his table. Oki patted him on the shoulder. Hanai could tell Oki wanted to say something to him from the small pout on his friend’s face and was surprised that he disappeared into the kitchen without saying a word. Maybe he should ask Oki about it later.

Hanai had a little moment to watch Tajima work and happily sip his drink before another customer entered. He went through the motions as he wondered why exactly he felt disappointed. Did he want Tajima to rely on him that much?

* * *

The next day went about the same as the last. The only difference was that it was Saturday and since fewer people were working, Hanai had a bit more customers. It wasn’t too bad since most of the people that frequented the shop were still university students, but at least it kept his mind busy.

Tajima showed up again. He had barged in - thankfully there were no customers in front of him - and demanded Hanai make him another mocha.

“Hanai! I want another mocha!” He yelled and Hanai just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. The look on Hanai’s face made Tajima pause. “Uh, please?” he added as an afterthought.

Chuckling to himself, Hanai turned to make the drink. “You know,” he said as he went to work, “I’m surprised you remembered the name.”

With a glance over his shoulder, Hanai noted the way Tajima leaned casually on the counter. He did that a lot, didn’t he? “Of course, I remember. You’re the one that made it for me after all.” Tajima fixed him with a stare that almost made Hanai forget the drink he was making. 

Was Tajima flirting with him? Hanai quickly turned away and went back to the coffee. _No way_ , he told himself. Why would Tajima flirt with _him?_ It was absurd.

Now, Tajima was back at his table, working on his English assignment again. Hanai offered his help but Tajima simply smiled and declined. Maybe Hanai was a bad tutor?

“You seem preoccupied,” Oki said, appearing from the kitchen. His clothes were smeared in flour and chocolate. 

“I’m fine,” Hanai waved him off easily. “It’s just a slow day.”

Oki’s eyes drifted to Tajima’s table and he smiled. “Someone on your mind?”

“What?” He asked louder than he had planned, and Oki flinched. “Sorry,” he said quickly, knowing a couple of people had turned toward them. “No, I don’t have someone on my mind.”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Oki smiled at him. “It would be okay if you did.” With those words said, he disappeared into the kitchen. 

Was it? Hanai frowned to himself. 

Over the next hour, Hanai continued to steal glances at Tajima. Not once did Tajima look in his direction. He seemed so focused on his work that he even forgot about his coffee. It was weird.

Nothing changed until the door opened showing a rather disgruntled looking man, who was probably about Hanai’s age. Hanai watched as the man scanned the cafe, his eyes narrowing on Tajima’s back and marching toward him. 

_Well, that can’t be good_ , Hanai thought. His fingers twitched as he wondered if he should prevent whatever confrontation was going to occur. 

But before he could so much as lean away from the counter, the man reached Tajima’s table and slapped the bundle of wires he’d been holding onto the table. Hanai had never seen Tajima jump so hard. “Oi, Yuuichirou,” the man said, “just because I came back early doesn’t mean you can be lazy. You need to take care of your things.”

“Kousuke!” Tajima yelled happily. If the banging on the table hadn’t caused eyes to turn toward the table, Tajima’s elation would have. “You came,” he cried, wrapping his arms around Kousuke’s middle and pulling him close.

As if used to this sort of affectionate display, Kousuke rolled his eyes and gently patted Tajima’s head. “Of course, I came. I’m not that heartless.” Tajima didn’t let go and Kousuke had to physically remove him. “But you really should pay more attention to your things. What are you even doing here on your break?” He crossed his arms. “I half expected you to avoid your assignments altogether.”

Unperturbed by Kousuke’s nearly cold words, Tajima continued to smile. “I need to pass to play baseball.” Kousuke mumbled something that caused Tajima to laugh. The way Tajima laughed left a sinking feeling in Hanai’s chest. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink since you walked all the way here.”

Oh, shit. They were coming up to the counter. Panicking, Hanai forced the register open to pretend he was doing something and not shamelessly watching their odd interaction. 

“Hanai!” Even knowing Tajima was coming forward, Hanai’s heart rate skyrocketed at his loud voice. He was convinced that Tajima did not know the meaning of an inside voice. “Can you make Kousuke that chocolate drink? The mocha one?”

Hanai was moments from replying that he could, but as his mouth opened, Kousuke pulled Tajima into a headlock. What the… 

“Hey,” Kousuke reprimanded, “don’t just go deciding things on your own, Yuu.” Then he looked up at Hanai and grinned. “Could I have a matcha green tea latte to go, please?”

“Sure.” Hanai nodded. As he turned his back, he heard Tajima grunting and trying to free himself from Kousuke’s grip. 

For once, it was difficult for Hanai to focus on his job. His mind kept replaying how easy and natural Tajima and Kousuke’s interactions seemed. They were obviously close. But how close exactly, he wondered as he glanced over to see the two of them standing and speaking to each other closely. 

Something harsh and ugly gripped his heart no matter how hard he tried to brush it aside. He returned to the counter with the drink. “Here you go.” He placed it in front of Kousuke, who grinned happily. 

“Thank you,” he said at the same time that Tajima draped himself over Kousuke’s shoulders and made a fake gagging sound. Hanai averted his gaze down at the latte. 

“Ugh, it’s green.”

“Oh, like your _brown_ coffee is any better?” Kousuke countered. 

“It is!” Tajima declared, making Hanai chuckle under his breath. 

“Whatever.” Kousuke rolled his eyes, but his attention returned to Hanai. “So, you’re Hanai?” He nodded warily. This whole situation was odd for him. Kousuke smiled gently as if sensing Hanai’s unease. “I’ve heard a lot about you, and surprisingly it mostly comes from this one,” he jabbed a finger into Tajima’s side, “instead of Ren.” Groaning, Tajima stepped away from Kousuke. 

Ren? Why did Hanai know that name? “Oh!” It suddenly clicked. “You mean Mihashi!”

Laughing, Kousuke nodded. “Sorry, we’ve been friends for so long that we use our first names.” That made sense. “If you want, you can call Izumi instead.”

Hanai chuckled a little but nodded nonetheless. “Thanks, Izumi.”

Izumi hummed a little as he gave Hanai a once over. “You know, I’m surprised at how accurate Yuu’s descriptions of you were.”

“Kousuke,” Tajima hissed under his breath. Hanai felt something bubble in his stomach at the slight blush in Tajima’s cheeks.

As if not hearing the warning in Tajima’s voice, Izumi pushed on. “Makes me wonder if he’s actually been working on his assignments when he’s here.”

The implication of the words was not lost on Hanai and he felt himself blushing at the statement. “Uh,” he glanced at Tajima but found the other glaring at Izumi, “I can assure you he’s been working hard.”

“Wonderful,” Izumi said smiling. “Then he can finish at home.”

“What?” Tajima whined with sad eyes. Hanai watched the scene unfold with amusement. “I’m not going back yet.”

“Yuuichirou,” Izumi began sharply. Hanai wondered if Izumi only used Tajima’s full name when he was annoyed. It was funny the way Tajima shrank at the sound. “I left for less than a week and our apartment is a mess. You’re cleaning it.”

With a hurried goodbye, Tajima and Izumi disappeared out the door. It left Hanai feeling confused and flustered and who knew what else. He never expected Tajima to have this sort of impact on him, and he couldn’t stop wondering how often Tajima talked about him or what he said. 

* * *

In the blink of an eye, finals were upon them. Hanai barely had time to breathe in between his last few classes, studying for finals, writing end of term reports, working at the cafe, _and_ tutoring Tajima. There was so much to do with so little time, and Hanai was exhausted. His eyelids felt like lead. His feet dragged. He almost fell asleep a couple of times during his shift when he was supposed to be helping Tajima on his break. 

Momoe had been concerned when she stopped in one day and saw the state he was in. She offered the week off if he needed it, saying she would work in his place. Of course, he declined. Hanai was in no worse shape than Mihashi, and Mihashi was still working despite being extra jumpy.

Gazing around him in a kind of stupor, Hanai noted that their customers were just as defeated looking as he felt. He wondered if he looked that bad. Maybe that’s why Momoe offered to cover his shifts.

His eyes landed on Tajima, who sat at his usual table. If he didn’t work, Hanai didn’t know how he’d meet with Tajima. The little voice in his head reminded him that Tajima had invited him to his shared apartment once.

_Why’d I turn that down again_ , Hanai asked himself. He blinked, trying to stay focused, but now that he was on the topic his brain latched on to it.

“Hey, Mihashi?” He asked, causing his coworker to flinch and fidget on the spot. “You live with Tajima, right?” Mihashi nodded so fast it gave Hanai a headache. “And you also live with… Izumi?” 

“Yes!” Mihashi beamed. “Yuu-kun and Kou-chan!”

Right, Hanai thought tiredly. He shouldn’t ask his next question - shouldn’t pry. He really shouldn’t and if it was a normal day when Hanai had more sleep, he probably wouldn’t have. Except, he was so, so curious and also very tired. “Are Tajima and Izumi together?”

Mihashi pouted in confusion. “To… gether?”

“Yeah,” Hanai nodded, “like, are they dating?” It had been bugging him since Izumi had come into the cafe. They were so comfortable around each other and with casual touches. Whenever he thought about it, it left an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

To Hanai’s surprise, Mihashi started laughing. For a brief moment, Hanai wondered if Mihashi finally lost his mind. “No, no,” Mihashi said through his laughter. “Kou-chan and- and Hama-chan are dating!” Hanai had no idea who this Hama-chan was, but hearing that Tajima and Izumi weren’t together made him feel oddly happy. 

“So is,” Hanai began but stopped. He turned his gaze toward Tajima. Mihashi seemed more talkative today, so maybe he’d answer Hanai’s next question. When he looked back at Mihashi, he noticed the intensity in Mihashi’s stare. “Uh, is, uh.” Hanai could do this. “Is Tajima seeing anyone?”

Cheeks burning, Hanai felt as though he waited an eternity before Mihashi shook his head. “Yuu-kun is a good person!” He declared before disappearing. 

What did that even mean? Hanai would never understand how Abe or Tajima could easily interpret what Mihashi says. When he turned toward the front, Tajima was leaning against the counter. Startled, Hanai took a step back. “How, uh, how long were you standing there?” Hanai asked, fearing Tajima had heard his question to Mihashi.

Tilting his head, Tajima grinned. “Just got here.” Despite the smile, Hanai could see the exhaustion in the bags under Tajima’s eyes. “Hey, could you make another coffee for me?”

“But you’ve already had three.”

“I know,” Tajima groaned. His head fell onto his crossed arms. “I can’t focus though.”

“Tajima,” Hanai began with a sigh, “I don’t think any more caffeine is going to help you.” Tajima frowned. His eyes looked so heavy that Hanai wondered if he’d fall asleep leaning against the counter. “Why don’t you go home and rest?”

“Come with me?” Tajima asked, looking up at him. It was an innocent enough question, but it still made Hanai falter. 

“I don’t think that would be the best idea,” Hanai mumbled. Feeling the warmth in his face, he looked away from Tajima’s eyes.

He heard Tajima sigh. “Right, right.” Glancing back Hanai saw the small pout on Tajima’s face. He looked disappointed. Hanai wasn’t sure why Tajima would be, and he was too scared to think about it deeply. “The whole tutor and student thing, but we’re adults and plenty of people go to others’ places to tutor them.” 

_Yes_ , Hanai thought, _but not all of those people are harboring feelings for the person they’re supposed to be tutoring._

“Well!” Tajima stood straight and stretched his arms. Crossing them behind his head, Tajima showed Hanai a grin that he hadn’t seen since the final stretch of the semester began. “You won’t be my tutor after this week, so it won’t matter much!”

If Hanai was better rested, perhaps he would have grasped what Tajima was hinting at. As his mind was muddled and scattered, he could only watch as Tajima gathered his things and with a loud goodbye, disappeared out the door.

Maybe Hanai was the one that was losing his mind. 

* * *

The light at the end of the tunnel finally appeared for Hanai as finals week came to an end. It was Friday afternoon by the time he arrived at Nishiura Cafe, practically stumbling over his own feet. His body hated him for putting him through the late-night study sessions and long work hours. 

The first thing he noticed was that both Mihashi and Sakaeguchi (who was covering his shift) looked like the walking dead. Sakaeguchi swayed on his feet as he worked and Mihashi lay draped over the counter. The second thing he noticed was Abe standing beside Mihashi, gently brushing his fingers through Mihashi’s hair. Hanai wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to that soft side of Abe, but he assumed Abe had to be like that when it came to Mihashi. The man was easily scared after all.

“Hanai’s here!” It was Sakaeguchi who had noticed him first and was now staring at him with starry eyes. The sudden surge in energy probably came from Sakaeguchi knowing that Hanai was there to relieve him. “Shouji! Let’s go,” Sakaeguchi called, turning toward Suyama.

“Yes, yes.”

Suyama stood and Hanai didn’t understand why his coworker looked so calm and relaxed at the end of the finals week. That wasn’t normal. Even Abe looked a little rough around the edges.

Sakaeguchi bade Hanai goodbye as he skipped out the door, singing something about taking a nap when he got home. 

“Why do you look so well-rested?” Hanai asked when Suyama reached him.

“Ah, I studied with Nishihiro.”

Well, damn. Why didn’t Hanai think of that? Nishihiro was easily the smartest in his friend group, but they didn’t share any classes. Suyama, you lucky bastard.

“Hey, Hanai,” Abe greeted him when he came up to the counter.

“H-Hanai-kun.” 

Mihashi looked even worse up close, and Hanai couldn’t help but frown in worry. “He’s fine,” Abe promised. “He’s just a little tired.”

Nodding, Hanai grabbed the spray and rag. There were a few tables to clean and Mihashi didn’t look like he was moving any time soon. “Mihashi, why don’t you take a break?” Most of the students at the university were gone for the winter break already. Only one other person was in the cafe and Hanai had a feeling that he could take care of everything for a little bit. Besides, Mihashi looked like he needed to sit and rest.

“Thanks, Hanai,” Abe answered for Mihashi as he ushered the poor guy over to one of the couches in the corner of the room. Hanai watched as Mihashi fell face first onto the cushions and only moved when Abe forced him to.

Hanai knew that Mihashi struggled with academic tasks, but this seemed over the top. But, then again, what did he know?

An uneventful hour passed. No new customers came in. The one that had been working when Hanai arrived had left about fifteen minutes before. It was quiet and Mihashi was still passed out on the couch, using Abe’s lap as a pillow. Hanai watched the two from his spot at one of the tables with some envy as Abe continued to brush his fingers through Mihashi’s hair.

He hated to admit it, but he was jealous of what his two friends had. Hanai wanted that level of comfort with someone special, but whenever he thought about it, he imagined him and Tajima. Now that was a crazy thought if he ever had one. There were plenty of better people out there for Tajima.

The clink of a dish being placed on his table alerted him of Oki’s presence. “You look like you could use something sweet,” his friend said with a gentle smile.

“Thanks.” 

Hanai wasted no time biting into the cookie as Oki sat on the other side of him. He sighed as the sweet chocolatey flavor touched his tongue, lifting his tired spirit. There was something about the taste that seemed to warm him from the inside out, and Hanai assumed it had to do with Oki’s skills as a baker.

No sooner had Hanai finished his cookie than the door to the cafe opened. It had been flung open so hard that Hanai worried the door would break. The bell above it clattered so loudly that it startled Mihashi, who had been deep asleep. Mihashi sat up quickly and accidentally headbutted Abe in the chin. Both of them held their injured body parts with tears forming in their eyes.

Oki was no better. He looked as though he was moments from falling out of his chair. His hand gripped the fabric of his shirt just over his heart in a fist. His eyes were as round as saucers.

Hanai’s heart thumped in his chest at the sudden noise and his breath caught in his throat. Who in the world would just burst into a place like that? Who could- but his thoughts stopped in their tracks when his eyes met Tajima.

Because, of course, it would be Tajima. Hanai really should have known better.

“Hanai!” Tajima yelled the moment he found where Hanai was. “Hanai!” He called again and it was somehow even louder than the first time. 

“Hey,” Hanai grumbled as he closed his eyes, “you’re inside. What are you being so loud about?” He was too tired to deal with anything or anyone that loud - Tajima included. 

Hanai opened his eyes to find Tajima in front of him, arms reaching out for him. In his tired state, Hanai only watched as Tajima’s arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a hug. He froze on the spot as Tajima straddled his lap.

“What- what are you doing?”

“Hugging you,” Tajima said into his neck. The warm breath on his skin made Hanai shiver. “You’re supposed to hug back, you know?”

“Right,” Hanai mumbled and wrapped his arms around Tajima’s waist. Was he dreaming? Had he fallen asleep and this was all a fever dream caused by his sleepless nights? If this was a dream, Hanai would make the most of it. “Why are we hugging?”

Tajima leaned back enough that Hanai could see his face. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Because I want to!” He laughed as Hanai’s face contorted in his confusion. Tajima wanting to hug him for the hell of it definitely meant this was all in his imagination. “And because I got my English grade back!” Tajima’s hands suddenly cupped Hanai’s face. “Hanai, I passed! I got a C!”

A ‘C.’ “Wait,” Hanai’s eyes widened, “a _C_?!” Holy shit! He had expected Tajima to pass by the skin of his teeth, but this… “That’s amazing! You’ll be able to play in games in the spring!”

“I know!” Tajima seemed beyond pleased with himself and it made Hanai smile. “And you know what the best part is?” Hanai frowned. What was better than being eligible to play in the spring? Tajima leaned in and Hanai realized just how close they were. Hanai couldn’t look away from Tajima’s eyes. “You don’t have a reason to keep turning me down.”

Turning him down? “I never-”

Tajima’s head fell back as he groaned - comically loud. “You do, Hanai! All the time!” Tajima complained, his hands squeezed Hanai’s face to the point where it slightly hurt. Maybe this wasn’t a dream after all. “But I don’t need a tutor anymore so you can’t use that excuse.” Tajima’s eyes dared Hanai to reject him now. “So, Hanai will you go on a date with me?”

Without his pathetic excuse of being Tajima’s tutor, Hanai couldn’t think of anything else. What could he say? This is what he wanted anyway, right? Hadn’t he been dreaming of having a chance like this with Tajima? Honestly, why was he getting cold feet?

“Where’d we go?” Hanai blurted out his question without really answering Tajima. He felt his face warm in embarrassment.

Humming to himself, Tajima thought over the question. It was a good thing nothing caught him by surprise. “I’ve really started enjoying the taste of coffee, so let’s have a coffee date!”

The cheerfulness in his voice made Hanai relax and he laughed at the idea. “Tajima, I literally work in a cafe where I make coffee.”

“So?”

Hanai didn’t know where the newfound courage he felt came from. Maybe it was the ease in which Tajima held himself. “Our first date isn’t going to involve coffee.”

“Hanai,” Tajima complained, “but I like coffee! This is your fault.” The whining made Hanai laugh a little harder, but the teasing was worth it. He could see the moment Tajima realized what Hanai meant. His eyes widened and it was moments like this that he was glad Tajima was so expressive. “Wait,” he whispered, leaning in close, “yeah?”

Hanai grinned up at Tajima. “Yeah.”

Tajima let out a giddy laugh and, catching Hanai by surprise, leaned in and kissed him. It ended as quickly as it started and all Hanai could do was stare at Tajima in awe. “God, I’ve been wanting to do that for months now.”

“Months?” Hanai asked, a little dazed.

“Yeah.” Then he frowned and licked his lips. “You taste good. Kind of like chocolate?”

_Oh, my god_ , Hanai thought. If his face wasn’t red before, he was positive it was now. He could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks. Nearby, he heard Oki groan a little at the words. Damn, this was embarrassing.

Not everyone thought it was embarrassing, though. Hanai heard Abe’s booming laugh. “About damn time,” he called and Hanai buried his face in Tajima’s shoulder, which shook in laughter. Hanai wondered if he would ever be able to show his face at work again. Silently, he thanked whoever was listening that at least it was just him and his friends around to witness this disaster.

While everyone was distracted, Hanai looked back up. “You know you’ll have to take one more semester of English, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m fluent now thanks to you.”

Well, that was a blatant lie. “I’ll make an exception for you.” Tajima tilted his head a little. “I’ll go out with you even if I’m still tutoring you.”

A mischievous glint appeared in Tajima’s eyes. “Does this make me the teacher’s pet then?”

Face burning once again, Hanai groaned. “Please, don’t ruin the moment.” Tajima laughed and pulled him into another kiss. Hanai smiled into the kiss. This was not how he anticipated the semester ending when he agreed to tutor Tajima, but it might have been the best decision Hanai ever made.


End file.
